Tomatoes are plants that can be grown not only in garden beds or greenhouses. There are varieties that can delight with their beautiful views and delicious fruits on balconies or on windowsills. This list includes the Pinocchio tomato. Reviews about him are only positive, it cannot be otherwise. A small compact bush covered with fruits that can ripen even in winter.
Pinocchio is a tomato that looks very nice in a vase on the windowsill. So they grow it not only in order to get a crop of tomatoes, but also as an ornamental plant. This “balcony miracle,” as tomato lovers call this variety, is pleasing to the eye and brings benefits.
Tomato Pinocchio: variety description
Pinocchio tomato variety is unusually productive. On each bunch, with which the bush is crowned, 9-11 fruits flaunt. Each tomato is about the size of a walnut. The approximate weight of these small bright red fruits is 30 g. Plants with red clusters of tomatoes look especially beautiful in winter on the windowsill, against the backdrop of white snow.
Pinocchio fruits (tomatoes) taste sweet, slightly reminiscent of cherries. This variety is disease-resistant, but it is a pity that dwarf plants do not live long. Pinocchio is no exception: when the bush reaches a height of 28-32 cm, bunches are tied, and new flowers no longer appear. Having given up its last harvest, the tomato begins to turn yellow and gradually “dies”. Uninformed people are trying to revive the bush, but such efforts are completely in vain, because he did not get sick, but simply lived his short life. If you want to have such beauty again in your home or garden, then just plant a new young plant.
Growing tomatoes
You definitely won't regret planting a Pinocchio tomato. Growing these little bushes is not difficult at all, you just need to know some simple rules for planting this plant:
- Pick up fertile soil.
- Add humus to the soil.
- The ground must be permeable, loose and moist.
- Tomato roots do not tolerate stagnant water, at the same time, these plants need sufficient moisture.
- Growing Pinocchio tomatoes in a pot, you need to make good drainage.
- You need to choose the right size of the flowerpot so that the plant has enough space for growth and nutrition. Pinocchio is a tomato that does not grow higher than 30-40 cm, so it can be planted in a 6-7 liter pot.
You need to sow a tomato in a permanent place one seed at a time. If you would like to have severalplants, it is better to take one small container and sow the right amount of seeds there. Watering with warm water, the crops are covered with a film. After the sprouts appear, remove the film and put the container in a cool place (up to 18 degrees). When the plants have 2-3 true leaves, you need to choose the strongest tomatoes and plant them in separate pots.
During transplantation, seedlings are buried in the ground to the cotyledon leaves. In this way, the plant will be able to form more roots, making it stronger.
Plant care
Pinocchio is a thermophilic and photophilous tomato, like all its relatives. These dwarf plants do not tolerate a lack of sunlight well and thrive in direct sunlight. If you want to get a harvest in the winter, provide your green pet with a backlight, otherwise you risk being disappointed that the tomato bush did not form a flower brush. Water tomatoes should be plentiful so that the ground is completely wet, but this is often not required. Watering is recommended to be carried out 2 times a week before lunch. The water should be warm (22-24 degrees). You need to pour it not under the bush itself, but around the plant.
Feeding
The first time you need to feed the tomatoes with organic fertilizers after you plant the bushes in a permanent place. It is recommended to do this with a mullein (1: 5), 1 liter of solution is required per bush. Subsequent top dressing is done during the fruiting period with mineral fertilizers. Foliar top dressing has also proven itself well, when tomato leavessprayed with nutrient solution. This "treat" helps plants develop and promote growth. Another indisputable plus of this top dressing is the prevention of shedding of flowers.
Tomato Pinocchio: reviews
Gardeners who have experience in growing dwarf varieties of tomatoes speak only positively about Pinocchio. If you “settle” such tomatoes in the beds, then you don’t need to take care of the props, they grow like small, stable trees sprinkled with small bright tomatoes.
Lovers of large yields with little time, space and effort also praise this variety of tomatoes. Judge for yourself: with proper care, you can harvest up to 1.5 kg of crop from one Pinocchio bush.
